Educational Leadership & Technology

As stated in my previous post, I have read this book several times now, but another thing I really enjoy about it is that I always seem to notice something different during each reading. This time the character of Old Moses really struck me. The obvious undertones of religion surround this character. His place “up in the sky just past the clouds” and called Sugarcandy Mountain is clearly a rip on the concept of heaven. Orwell clearly has some contempt for organized religion and how it can be used to manipulate the masses. It is always very ironic that Old Moses disappears from the story after Jones leaves the farm and then reappears after Boxer dies. With the inspiration and strength of Boxer gone, the pigs need a calming force to make the animals stay in line, so religion returns to assist in crowd control.  Is this a fair damnation of religion by Orwell? Is it really as simple as people believing in something, because their everyday lives are so hopeless? Do governments truly use churches to manipulate and control society?  Well… Yes. Sadly religion has been used time and time again to pacify the desperate masses; however, this reality shouldn’t be used to write off religion completely, because religion can also be used to help and provide hope to people. Many churches use their influence to assist those who are less fortunate. Many people who attend church feel better about life and the future. So religion can’t be all bad, but it should be critically observed; especially by those who do whatever a religious leader says without thinking.